a. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to apparatus for washing, scrubbing and winding a fire hose and simultaneously, or independently, winding a dry hose.
b. Prior Art
The chore of washing, drying and storing fire hoses is as old as mechanized fire fighting. For many years, extending to the present, fire hoses were washed by hand, rinsed, rolled, carried to a drying area, hung to dry and rolled again for storage.
In many jurisdictions firemen are required to continually study problems of fire fighting in an environment characterized by new classes of hazards and materials. They are expected to learn livesaving techniques, first aid procedures and property salvage methods. They are expected to know how to operate and maintain sophisticated fire fighting equipment. Because of these and other demands, many fire departments seek to reduce the time spent by firemen on washing, drying and storing hoses.
Fire hose washing and reeling machines are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,909,794 shows a machine for washing a fire hose in a tank and then brushing it with roller brushes. U.S. Pat. No. 2,179,831 shows a machine for rinsing a fire hose, brushing it longitudinally, then washing and rinsing it.
While the machines of the prior art are quite useful, one of the problems faced by firemen is that hoses cannot be stored wet. They must be dry. For this reason, some machines of the prior art include driers which heat hoses prior to reeling, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,531,059. In general, this requires large amounts of energy and would be practical only in limited circumstances. Heating of hoses is not the preferred method of drying because rubber or other hose materials may be damaged by heat.
In general, the same machines used in the prior art for washing and reeling wet hoses are not suitable for reeling dry hoses. Conversely, machines for reeling dry hoses are generally not suitable for washing and reeling wet hoses.
An object of the present invention was to devise a machine for washing and reeling wet hoses and simultaneously or independently reeling dry hoses.